Tank ball



April 15, 1957 P. F. H. REICHERT 2,733,525

TANK BALL Filed June 15, 1954 United States Patent TANK BALL Paul F. H. Reichert, Ottawa Hills, Ohio, assignor to The Reichert Float & Manufacturing ompauy, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June 15, 1954, Serial No. 436,852

3 Claims. (Cl. 4-56) This invention relates to ball-shaped valves of the character utilized for controlling the discharge of water from flush tanks, such valves usually being referred to as tank balls.

It has been conventional practice to utilize a generally ball-shaped member of hollow configuration formed of rubber as a valve means for closing the water discharge opening in a flush tank. During the closing action of the conventional tank ball or valve, the force of the water flowing past the tank ball tends to cause the tank ball to tilt during its seating movement so that one zone of the seating area of thevalve may be forceably impinged upon the valve seat after which the remaining area of the valve engages the seat to close the discharge passage or exit from the flush tank. This irregular closing action of the tank ball or valve causes uneven wear of the valve and eventually results in failure or fracture of the ball.

The present invention resides in the provision of a tank ball or valve construction having means for obtaining rotative movement of the tank ball during the discharge of water from a flush tank with which the valve or tank ball may be used.

An object of the invention resides in the provision of means integrally formed with a tank ball construction wherein an improved valve-seating action is obtained, providing an effective means for closing the water discharge of a flush tank and prolonging the life of the tank ball or valve.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a tank ball construction, formed of rubberor like material, having a plurality of fins, vanes or projections inte grally formed on the construction and angularly arranged with respect to the central axis of the tank ball whereby the flow of water into the charge passage during flushing operations is eiiective to cause partial rotation of the valve.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a tank ball construction embodying means engaged by liquid fiOWing through a passage adjacent the tank ball whereby tilting of the tank ball and irregular seating thereof to close the passage are substantially eliminated.

Further objects and advantages are within the scope of this invention such as related to the arrangement, operation and function of the related elements of the structure, to various details of construction and to combinations of parts, elements per se, and to economies of manufacture and numerous other features as will be apparent from a consideration of the specification and construction of the invention;

'Figure 2 is an elevational view showing one form of "(tank ball construction of the invention; f F'gure 3 is a bottom plan view of the construction shown in Figure 2;

A 2,788,525 Patented Apr. 16, 1957 Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an elevational View, partly in section, illustrating a modified form of tank ball construction, and

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of the construction shown in Figure 5.

While the tank ball-or valve construction of the present invention is particularly adaptable for use in controlling or closing the water discharge passage or pipe of a flush tank, it is to be understood that the valve construction of the invention may be used to control the flow of liquids from othertypes of containers or tanks.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figure 1 illustrates a receptacle, container or flush tank 10 of the character conventionally utilized for flushing water through toilet bowls, provided with a water inlet pipe I2, the extremity of which terminates within the tank 19 and is provided with inlet valve mechanism (not shown) controlled by float means for regulating the ingress of water into the tank 10.

The lower or bottom wall 15 of the tank 10 is provided with a conventional water discharge passage, pipe or duct 17, the upper end of which extends into the tank and provides an annular valve seat or seat member 20, the pipe or duct 1'7 being clamped to the wall 15 of the tank by means of a threaded securing ring 21. A tank ball or valve 22, embodying a form of the present invention formed of flexible rubber, synthetic rubber or like flexible material, is adapted to cooperate with the seat member 2i? to control or close the duct or passage 17.

Vertically disposed within the tank 10 is a tube 25 which is open at its upper extremity and is in registration with a comparatively small tube 27, the latter being associated with the water inlet control valve whereby, during the flow ofwater into the tank, a small amount of water is discharged from the tube 27 into the larger tube 25 and through a transverse passage connecting the lower end of tube 25 with the discharge passage 17 below the valve seat 2%. In this manner a small quantity of water is discharged into the bowl (not shown) through thedischarge pipe 17 even though the tankb'all or valve 22 is seated on the valve seat 20. i

The form of tank ball 22 shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4 is formed with an upwardly extending boss portion 29 having a cavity in which a threaded metal bushing 30 is securely disposed. A rod 32 has its lower end threaded into the bushing 30. The upper end of the rod is formed with an eye or loop portion '34, and a second rod 35 is formed with a horizontally disposed eye 36 adapted to receive the rod 32. The eye or loop portion 34 forms an abutment so that upward movement of rod 35 elevates the rod 32. and the valve 22 to permit flow of water through the discharge tube 17 from tank 16 to accomplish a flushing operation. A suitable guide means or bracket 38, mounted upon the tube 25, is formed with furcations 39 having openings to slidably accommodate the rod 32 and to maintain the rod 32 in alignment with the central axis of the seat member 20 to assure vertical movement of the tank ball 22 into engagement with the seat 20 after the water has been discharged from the tank it). The openings in the furcations 39am of a dimension to provide for limited transverse or tilting movement of the ball 22, so that the same may be free to center itself in the annular seat 20. An arm or handle 40 extends exteriorly of the flush tank 10, and movement of the arm 40 elevates the rods 35 and 32 to withdrawthe tank ball 22 from the seat 20.

The operation of the arrangement shown in Figure 1 in carying out a flushing operation is as follows. When the toilet bowl is to flushed, the control handle 40 is an opening 4-2 formed in the lower wall thereof.

moved to manually elevate the rods 35 and 32 and the tank ball or valve member 22 to elevate the latter from engagement with the seat 20. The tank ball 22 is of hollow configuration, providing a chamber 4 5, and has Due to the fact that the tank ball is hollow and is open to the atmosphere through the provision of the opening 42, air becomes trapped within the tank ball so that it floats upon or is buoyed up by the water in the flush tank when the water pressure acting above the tank ball is relieved by elevation of the tank ball to effect a discharge of water from the flush tank through the passage or tube 17. Thus, during discharge of water from the tank 19 and a continually diminishing height of water head, the tank ball floats upon the water in the tank and moves downwardly as the water level is lowered in the tank. When substantially all of the water has been discharged from the tank, the tank ball or valve engages the annular seat 20 to close the water discharge tube 17;

During this period, water flows from a water supply through the water inlet tube 12 and the tank 10 is again filled with water until a float control valve (not shown) interrupts the flow of water into the tank through the tube 12.

With the tank ball or valve of conventional construction, the flow of water through the discharge opening 17 may cause the tank ball to tilt slightly so that one zone of the ball engages an area of the annular valve seat before the remaining zone of the ball is seated. The tank ball or valve 22 of the present invention is provided with means which is acted upon or is influenced by the movement or flow of water into the discharge passage 17,

' causing the tank ball 22 to rotate about its vertical axis.

This rotation of the tank ball takes place when the water level in the tank 10 approaches its lowermost position and just prior to the engagement of the tank ball 22 with the seat 20.

As shown in Figures 2 through 4, the tank ball 22 is formed with a substantially frustoconical configuration 45 with a slight curvature or convexity of the surface as 7 shown in Figure 2, the exterior surface of the tank ball I seating in the annular seat 20. The lower exterior zone of the frustoconical shape of the tank ball is formed with V a plurality of radially extending projections, fins or vanes interference with the projections.

In the passage-closing action or movement of the tank ball equipped with the fins or projections 47, the water flowing into the passage or tube 17 just prior to the seating of the tank ball upon the seat 20 engages the fins or projections and, due to the angularity thereof, causes the tank ball to be rotated through a partial revolution at each cycle of discharging water from the tank 10. Through this means the tank ball is partially rotated each time water is discharged from the tank 10, and by this means the ball is continuously changing its seating zone so as to avoid uneven or irregular wear of the tank ball. Furthermore, the frustoconical wall portion 45 of vthe tank ball or valve is made comparatively thin so as to be highly flexible, and an uneven seating of the tank ball or valve in repeated use may result in fracturing f the thin wall of the tank ball. ;angularly disposed deflectors, fins or projections formed on the tank ball, the latter is rotated through at least a Through the use of the partial revolution at each tank-flushing cycle so as to ment to the tank ball at the time of its final downward movement into engagement with the seat 20, such rotative movement tends to cause the tank ball to move in a vertical direction with its axis aligned with the axis of the tank ball 22 so that engagement of the tank ball with the seat takes place throughout an entire, circular Zone or band of the frustoconically shaped surface 45. Thus, when impinged against the seat, the tank ball properly engages the seat throughout its entire area, a factor which also minimizes wear and increases the useful life of the tank ball.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate a modified form of tank ball or valve construction embodying the principles of the invention. The tank ball 52 is of a configuration similar to the tank ball 22 and is formed with a generally frustoconical shape, defined by the wall 54, which is of slightly convex curvature, the exterior surface of the I wall 54 being adapted to engage an annular seat to close the water discharge passage from a flush tank. The tank ball 52 is integrally formed with an inwardly extending ledge or bottom wall 56 which terminates in an axially extending, sleeve-like portion 58, defining an opening 59 which corresponds in function with the opening 42 in the construction shown in Figure 3. The opening 59 permits, air to become trapped within the chamber 60 bounded by the comparatively thin wall 54 of the tank ball, whereby the tank ball is buoyed adjacent the surface of the water in the flush tank during discharge of water through the passage 17. The sleeve portion 58 of the tank ball 52 is formed with outwardly extending webs,

. projections or vanes 62 which are angularly or spirally arranged with respect to the central axis of the sleeve 59 sleeve portion 58.

Due to the angular positioning of the vanes, webs or projections 62 with respect to the axis of the tank ball, the force of the water moving past the projections 62 into i the discharge tube 17 causes rotational movement of the ball shown in Figures 5 and 6 may be molded of rubher, synthetic rubber or the like, with the sleeve portion 58 and the projections 62 integrally formed with the tank ball 52.

It is to be understood that the vanes or projections 62 may be arranged in various angular positions adapted to be influenced by a moving stream of water to cause rotative movement of the tank ball. If a greater rota-tive movement of a tank ball is desired, the projections or vanes 62 may be arranged at an increased angle with respect to radial planes through the axis of the tank ball. The operation of the construction shown in Figures 5 and 6 is similar to the operation of the arof the tank ball.

result inimproved seating of the ball and distribution e of wear. It is found that, by imparting rotative move- It is apparent that, within the scope of the invention,

modifications and different arrangements may be made other than is herein disclosed, and the present disclosure is illustrative merely, the invention comprehending all variations thereof.

I claim: 1 v I 1. A tank ball construction for use with the water discharge passage of a flush tank comprising a body having a hollow interior and formed of flexible material, said body having a lower portion, at least the major part of said lower portion being frustro-conical in shape, the base of said lower portion being substantially flat and having a central opening therein, a plurality of vanes projecting from the side wall of said lower portion and integral therewith and angularly disposed with respect to the central axis of said body, said vanes being planar in shape and extending in a downward direction from the side wall and having substantially flat bases lying in the plane of the base of said frustro-conical lower portion, whereby flow of water in contact with said vanes effects rotative movement of said body about its axis.

2. A tank ball construction as in claim 1 and wherein the outer edges of said vanes lie substantially in the surface of a cone the side wall of which when generated would substantially include the side wall of said frustroconical lower portion of said body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,739,185 Stimson Dec. 10, 1929 1,997,728 Heath Apr. 16, 1935 2,139,862 Shesler Dec. 13, 1938 2,154,982 Heath Apr. 18, 1939 2,436,035 Cheiten Feb. 17, 1948 

